After the sliding door was flung open, a heavy silence lingered in the room.
Sensing the persistent stare of the other, Yeo Il’s faint smile in the dark slowly became clearer.
“You’ve come?”
The other said nothing.
“There seemed to be some commotion outside. What happened? I couldn’t sleep, consumed by fear.”
As expected from one known as the “One Slash of the Spear Dragon,” his breathing, briefly unsteady, quickly returned to normal.
“Was it nothing, then, Lord Jeokmyeong?”
The one who had sent assassins over the past few days—was none other than Namgung Jeokmyeong.
“You recognized me even though I didn’t say a word.”
His voice was cold, far colder than when they had spoken at Giyunru.
“I never forget the sound of someone’s breath. Even if I lack sight…”
“…”
“I can still tell exactly who’s doing what.”
His breathing remained composed, but the air was heavy with the complex emotions twisting within him.
The atmosphere, tense enough to explode at any moment, was broken by the arrival of a third party.
“Brother Jeokmyeong? When did you arrive?”
Namgung Huimyeong, who had been rushing over with a sword in hand, stopped at the doorway.
Namgung Jeokmyeong’s voice softened considerably.
“I just got here, worried about our youngest. Did you also come because you were worried about Soyou?”
“Well… not exactly.”
Namgung Huimyeong cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem. Didn’t you say a martial artist should protect the weak? I was merely trying to uphold that.”
Another long silence settled.
What sort of expression was Jeokmyeong wearing now? Just as curiosity arose, he gently placed a large hand on Huimyeong’s head and said softly.
“Good boy, Namgung Huimyeong.”
When Yeo Il subtly opened her eyes, she saw him ruffling his younger brother’s hair.
The famed brotherly bond of the Namgung trio, perhaps this was what others saw in them.
“Soyou.”
Yeo Il replied with her eyes shut once more.
“Yes, Lord Jeokmyeong?”
“I heard you were ill all day after receiving my message. Are you feeling better?”
“I am… so please, don’t worry… cough, cough! Cough!”
After a final cough, she collapsed over the table, trembling weakly.
“W-what the—are you okay?!”
Flustered, Namgung Huimyeong rushed to her side, but recoiled and turned away.
“Hey! Servant! Bring some honeysuckle tea right now!”
After he left to call Chang-a, only the two remained.
Namgung Jeokmyeong let out a quiet laugh and spoke in a slow, unreadable tone.
“You care so much… I suppose I have no choice. Very well, Namgung Soyou. I will let you go to Hubei Province.”
Covering her mouth, Yeo Il slowly lifted her upper body, her face filled with disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
“However…”
“…”
“You’ll have to make a promise to me.”
“A promise…?”
“Hmph. I’ll tell you tomorrow. Things are too noisy in the household tonight to pretend nothing’s going on.”
With that, Namgung Jeokmyeong vanished into the night.
“A promise…”
What was he plotting?
About an hour later, Seolyeong returned to the room.
“Namgung Chumyeong took the assassin and said he’ll be forming an official investigation team soon. He said they might be related to the attacks on you and that security around here will be tightened.”
Yeo Il shared what had happened with Jeokmyeong as well.
Seolyeong’s expression darkened as he listened, then let out a heavy sigh.
“Is it really okay to make ourselves this suspicious?”
“I’ve been under suspicion for a while now. Ever since Namgung Jeokmyeong killed the real Namgung Soyou atop Mount Cheonju.”
“Well, that’s true, but still… this house is such a mess, who knows what’ll happen next.”
Yeo Il answered with a quiet laugh.
He wasn’t wrong.
Namgung Soyou, a daughter of the Namgung clan, was to depart for Hubei Province in search of clues about her birth mother.
Upon hearing the news, Chang-a was ecstatic, skipping around the room from early morning.
“Oh my goodness… This is wonderful, my lady! All that crying yesterday finally paid off!”
“Lower your voice. I told you to rest your throat so it heals faster.”
“Ah—yes!”
Chang-a quickly covered her mouth with a grin.
Yeo Il, having a far more resilient body than most, could cry for hours without issue but Chang-a was an ordinary girl, so she had to be more careful.
“It’s great to finally leave this suffocating place… but we’ll need to increase our guard. Has Lord Jeokmyeong mentioned the promise he made?”
“Not yet. Perhaps he’ll bring it up just before departure tomorrow.”
“That snake…”
Seol Yeong grumbled his reply.
Regardless, the fact that Yeo Il would be moving outside the estate herself was a great opportunity.
Especially since the path from Anhui Province to Hubei held a hidden strategy for gathering information more quickly.
“Hey, Soyou. I heard you’re going to Hubei?”
As always, human affairs come with complications.
“Yes, Lord Huimyeong. You’ve already heard?”
“Of course, you fool. Who do you think I am? There’s no way I’d let someone as frail as you go alone. I’ve decided to come with you. Be grateful.”
Namgung Huimyeong had burst into the room at dawn, suddenly volunteering to accompany her.
Seol Yeong, standing behind Yeo Il, muttered quietly so only she could hear.
“Unbelievable…”
But Huimyeong’s face was so proud and eager that Yeo Il offered him a gracious smile and bowed.
“Thank you, Lord Huimyeong. With you by my side, I can travel to Hubei with peace of mind. How can I ever repay you?”
“Repay me? Forget it. Just call me ‘older brother’ already. How many times must I ask?”
Again, Seol Yeong muttered behind her.
“He should be grateful you haven’t called him a brat.”
Namgung Huimyeong looked like he had more to say but simply turned and left the room.
“Of all people, the youngest had to tag along. This is going to be twice—no, three times the headache.”
Yeo Il gave a quiet nod in agreement.
On the morning of their departure to Hubei Province—
Strangely, Chang-a was nowhere to be found. She only came rushing back right before they left the estate.
In her hand was a small piece of paper.
“Um, Lady Soyou. Do you… happen to know someone named ‘Ak’?”
Ak. It could be a name, or an alias.
Yeo Il didn’t respond and simply looked at her. Chang-a then pulled the paper from her pocket and handed it over.
“There was a bit of a fuss outside the estate, so I went to check. Some bodyguard insisted he had to deliver something to Lady Namgung Soyou and shouted your name over and over. When I asked what it was about, he gave me this note.”
The paper was rolled up like a scroll and tied with a rough string.
“He said it was a letter from someone named Ak, but no matter how I look at it, I don’t think it’s meant for you… Wait! No—I mean, I think it is for you!”
When the string was untied, the large character “岳 (Ak/Yue)” was revealed.
Opening the scroll, it simply read in bold handwriting:
To Mount Cheonju.
“Is it really yours, my lady?”
To the cautious question, Yeo Il nodded.
“Yes. That means my escort has arrived in the area.”
Chang-ah tilted her head in confusion.
“Your… escort?”
